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February 27, 2020 5:27 pm  #1


Canadian Studio Giant to Launch Second Toronto Facility

 

February 28, 2020 1:26 am  #2


Re: Canadian Studio Giant to Launch Second Toronto Facility

No doubt TV and film production in this country is booming. A friend of mine in Atlanta who is in film production told me that both Toronto and Vancouver are bursting and need even more sound stages, so this news from White Studios will help.  Bell's Pinewood Studios  which currently is expanding with 200,000 square feet of additional studio space, has a two year wait for productions.

 

February 28, 2020 8:56 pm  #3


Re: Canadian Studio Giant to Launch Second Toronto Facility

Ignoring that this facility isn't actually in Toronto, I always wonder long term about this. Much of these production spaces are going to foreign companies that are here because of the exchange rate and any government funding they can milk. What happens if you get a government that decides to axe that? What happens when the exchange rate goes the other way?

I think things would be worse than the early 2010s because our local broadcasters have been decimated. Enjoy the good times while they're here.

 

February 28, 2020 10:19 pm  #4


Re: Canadian Studio Giant to Launch Second Toronto Facility

Yes the new White Studios are in Mississauga, as are the facilities for CBS. The city by the lake that Hazel built has about 12 film companies.

Last year Ontario had a banner year for movie and TV production with domestic and international productions evenly split at about $1.1 billion each. Domestic production was up 23%. And Vancouver/BC movie and TV production is even larger than Toronto and Ontario. BC in fact is Hollywood North.

The cheap dollar is important but we did have our dollar at par back around 2007/08, and while movie production did take a hit, it wasn't a disaster. And much of the dip in production had more to do with the banking/real estate crisis in the US.  The tax credits don't bother me, many states and provinces offer incentives and tax breaks  (even California). The government gets the money back many times over with all of the economic spending, hiring of crews, equipment rentals, restaurant and hotels and other tax revenue that comes back from the productions. I may be wrong but I think the tax breaks in Ontario are not quite as generous as they were a few years back and so far hasn't hurt business.  

Another plus for productions in Canada would be that rules, regs. and unions tend to be more flexible than in California and some producers enjoy that they are allowed a little more leeway, and less regulations.  I know, give the government and unions time and they will likely but an end to that!  Also TIFF is a big factor that nobody ever mentions.  The only film festival that has more importance in the world is Cannes in France but  many in the industry say TIFF is the best because it is a public festival.  TIFF's record of breaking and introducing Academy Award movies is second to none and the festival has tremendous credibility.